West Branch Gallery is pleased to announce the
opening of two solo-shows for the month of May as part of our ongoing
monthly exhibition series, Upstairs at West Branch.
This show will feature new work by painter, Aline Ordman as well as works on paper by print maker, Sheryl Trainor.

Sheryl Trainor studied painting at the
Massachusetts College of Art and was introduced to printmaking after
moving to Vermont in 1995. Trainor considers herself the keeper of her
family’s memories, saving photographs, magazines, scraps of papers, old
school books and scribbles from children who long ago became adults.
From these images she creates stories that inform her artwork. Using
silhouetted figures against patterned backgrounds, Trainor references
the types of iconic moments we associate with family, childhood, and
memories of times gone by.

Aline Ordman’s landscapes, figures and still lives use the particular
qualities of light and color to illuminate the human and natural worlds;
to capture the beauty that radiates from a particular passing moment. A
flicker of light on a shoulder, a splash of
sun on a summer hat, flakes of light in a stand of maples, a shower of
late afternoon sun on a hillside – these are the moments Ordman finds
herself attracted to. She describes her goal as an artist as finding
those times and places where beauty is
not only evident, but startling and suddenly present.

Join us for a first Saturday preview, May 4th from 4-6pm

to share a glass of wine with the artists and see their newest work.
For more information, please visit the gallery website,

EXHIBIT: March 1 to May 30, 2013
The Innovation Center
former General Dynamic headquarters)
Lakeside Avenue off of Pine Street in Burlington
Open Weekdays: 7:30 am - 6:30 pm

Featuring some of Marc Awodey’s larger works. This site is curated by the South End Arts & Business Association (SEABA), and this rotation of artists’ works is dedicated to Marc. There will be signage up indicating this. There are no opening receptions at this location.
The building is open from 7:30 AM to 6:30 PM each weekday.

This exhibition was previously installed
at the Christine Price Gallery at Castleton State College, VT

from March
4 – April 5, 2013 and is being curated by Mark S. Waskow.

Painting IS The Object

Marc Awodey lived
existentially. He didn’t do drawing; he was drawing. Marc didn’t do
painting; he was painting. Marc didn’t dabble in anything, but he
excelled in a lot of different things. He was a true renaissance man.
In addition to being an award winning visual artist, Marc Awodey played
bass, was a published writer of both prose and poetry, was a publisher
and ran an independent imprint of Northern New England writers: The
Minimal Press, as well as being a deep and critical thinker. He ran the
Rhombus Gallery, an alternative space for all manner of arts that was
very popular during the 1990’s, located in downtown Burlington,
Vermont. He also was the primary art critic for what is arguably the
most art-centric newspaper in Vermont, Seven Days. In 1997, he
won the John D. Donoghue Arts Criticism Award from the Vermont Press
Association. This is the top honor in this field of endeavor. He won
top honors for his visual art at juried, invitational and prestigious
annual competitive exhibitions in three different states. Most
recently, he co-founded Vermont Art Zine, an online resource to
highlight, review and discuss visual art exhibitions in Vermont. A
perfect exemplar of Marc’s prodigious abilities is his last minute entry
into a haiku poetry contest which he didn’t know he would be attending
and certainly one in which he did not plan to participate, and ended up
being awarded the top prize, which was the title of Haiku Master
Champion at the National Poetry Slam in 2000.

Marc spent part of his
life formally as a teacher. He held adjunct posts at five different
colleges (not all at the same time). He really enjoyed this, and even
before he started teaching formally, it would have been clear to many,
that Marc was destined to do this. He was extremely bright and
articulate, willing to share, always interested in helping others to
gain insights into the fields that captivated him and was generally
quite patient about these things. His views and insights were often
world class; that is, he engaged in original thought on a regular basis,
and as a result, he had great clarity about many issues related to his
passions.

Marc had two periods
characterized by essentially abstract work. The first of these was
toward the end of his undergraduate studies at Johnson State College and
the time between these studies and his graduate work at the Cranbrook
Academy of Art. During this period, some of his largest and most
complex pieces were created. Many of them were used in a variety of
performances, with very few surviving into the present time. The second
period was between roughly 1997 and 2001. This was the intense poetry
period for Marc. He was converting now obsolete, through legislation
banning their use, cigarette vending machines into poetry machines, and
installing them in nearly every New England State and New York as well.
He was also just starting The Minimal Press and was consumed with
writing poetry. He was also reading from his writings in public,
sometimes at planned places and times and sometimes rather
spontaneously. This free-form-ness found its way into his painting as
well.

For most of his visual
art career, Marc was an expressionistic figurative painter, and it is
for this body of work that he is best known. During several years, he
would purchase random, unidentified photographs on e-bay and base his
paintings on these images. Ironically, the content of his work was, most
often, of no consequence to him. In fact, often when Marc was viewing
art for his art criticism column, he would be somewhat oblivious to the
content of the composition at hand. What mattered to him were the
formal considerations: How did the artist work with his/her media?-Did
they demonstrate a respect for it/them?-Was the composition balanced?-If
so, was this intentional or accidental; and was it a good thing or not
in that case?-Did the lines increase or kill the “action” in the
piece?-If color was involved, was it manifested with care and
consideration? In concert with his judgments of others’ works, he also
was quite often totally uninterested in the object or subject he was
painting. It was truly just another wonderful excuse to paint. As the
title of this show suggests, the objects he depicted were not the sum of
the painting, rather painting itself was the object.

This show is intended to
be a tribute to Marc Awodey, who passed away way too soon on October
13, 2012, at the age of 51. His was a deep and keen intellect tethered
to that rarity; a kind and compassionate man.

Respectfully,

Mark S. Waskow, Director/Founder-The Waskowmium, Curator

The Art’s Alive exhibition program
brings communities together around art. The gallery at Union Station
shows Vermont Artists and art from other artist groups. We have
exhibited work by the members of the Northern Vermont Artist Association, Champlain Valley Regional High School Seniors, and Grassroots Art and Community Effort (GRACE).

Friday, April 19, 2013

Emile A. Gruppe Gallery in Jericho Center presents the annual juried exhibition of the Vermont Pastel Society with an opening reception on Saturday, April 20, 1-4 pm. The public is invited to meet the artists and view their work. The show will hang April 18 - May 19.

Hilltop Farm by Phil Laughlin

Sunday May 5, 3 - 4:30 p.m.

Poetry Reading by Mary Jane Dickerson
Reading from her first published book of poems

About the Emile Gruppe GalleryThe Emile A. Gruppe Gallery, Inc., located in Jericho, Vermont since 2003, exhibits and sells the works of noted landscape artist Emile A. Gruppe.
It also promotes local New England artists through exhibition and
sales. The gallery is located in a renovated 1860s English Sheep barn at
the home of Emile's daughter, Emilie Gruppe Alexander, and her husband
Stuart. . The
Gallery also supports local artists by hosting an annual Plein Air
Festival and workshops, throughout the year, by guest artist.

"I
have sold my property in Enfield and and therefore am closing the Red
Roof Frame Shop and Gallery in ENFIELD. The West Lebanon Red Roof Frame
Shop WILL remain open.

All
framed pieces in the gallery (over 200) are marked down 50%. Of
interest to all you artists out there, there are MANY assembled frames
of varied sizes, that are not necessarily standard readymade sizes, that
are on sale at a substantial reduction in price. Will also be selling
acid free mats at $4/ sheet. Also for sale are one 40” C & H
matcutter, one 40” and one 60” Fletcher material cutter, glass storage
rack, various mat storage and work cabinets, as well as small hand tools
and framing supplies.

Since
I am retiring to pursue my interests in wildlife photography and
painting, and therefore moving into my motorhome to “fulltime” the next
decade or so on the road, I am also selling ALL my worldly possessions,
since few of them are going to fit in the motorhome and I have no
inclination to store anything. Appliances, bookcases, couches, kitchen
wares, Lazyboy recliner, TVs, dressers, queen size bed, washer and
dryer, etc. Plus gardening equipment, a 1999 F-150, a 2003 Honda
Goldwing with enclosed hauling trailer, and too much more to list. You
get the idea, EVERYTHING!"

Montpelier Alive seeks proposals for artwork to be hung on, or between, the light poles in front of Montpelier City Hall during the summer and fall of 2013 with a possible extension, at the discretion of Montpelier Alive, through the winter. City Hall Plaza is a highly visible location in the heart of Vermont’s vibrant capital city that has displayed a variety of solid color and photographic banners over the past ten years. The successful new design will be a creative response to the plaza, the city, and its surroundings. Designs will be judged on their creativity, visual impact from the street, and durability.

Details:
The plaza has six light posts, each with two sets of horizontal banner arms. The twelve pairs of arms are 43.5” apart (from the top of each arm to the bottom of each arm) and are each 18” wide. At a minimum, the new work of art should fill the available space on all six light poles (individual arms may be removed) and must be able to withstand summer and fall weather conditions for at least five months. It may be mechanically reproduced or hand-crafted. The design may not include any words or graphics that could be construed as advertising and must be appropriate for a public place. If an artist or team of artists would like to submit a proposal of banners, Montpelier Alive can provide information on dimensions of past banners and on past mechanical reproduction methods.

Prize: One winning artist or art team will receive:

$2013 fee for materials, production, and honoraria.

Promotion of the work through press releases submitted to local and regional publications.

Entries may also be sent via email to:director@montpelieralive.org with the subject line “City Hall Plaza Submission” or by post mail to: Montpelier Alive, 39 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05602.

Deadline is 4:30 pm Friday, April 30, 2013. Winner will be notified by 1 pm on Friday, May 10, 2013. Montpelier Alive reserves the right to opt not to choose a winner for the 2013 contest at their discretion.Important Notice re: rights to artwork
At the discretion Montpelier Alive, the winning artwork will become the property of Montpelier Alive and may be reproduced for non-profit, publicity purposes, including on posters, on web sites, and in newsletters. Montpelier Alive also reserves the right to use the artwork in following years.

About the Montpelier Alive:
Montpelier Alive (formerly MDCA) was formed in 1999 within the framework of The National Trust’s National Main Street Center program, designed to ensure that our downtown remain the vibrant center of community life for Montpelier and our neighboring towns. Since that time, the Montpelier Alive has contributed to the enrichment of our downtown through numerous streetscape improvements (artistic banners, planters and benches) the coordination of the Independence Day and First Night celebrations, the summer Brown Bag Concert Series, the quarterly Art Walk, Green-Up Day and many other projects and events. Montpelier Alive is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit, funded largely through member support. For a list of members and other information about the organization, visit us online at www.montpelieralive.org.

Robert Gold is a lifelong artist who suffered a traumatic brain injury that has changed his style. Vibrant images and strong patterns illustrate his pursuit of digital impressionism in urban and country scenes that are sometimes embellished with acrylic.

Robert Gold was a dentist for twenty-five years, but always found himself returning to art. He experimented with jewelry and image capture. But it wasn’t until his traumatic brain injury and he lost the ability to work at his trade that he embraced art as a career. His initial progress was slow as he learned to live again. His love of art returned with a passion and his work shifted from black and white, when he was a dentist, to vibrant colors and the examination of the beauty of his immediate surroundings. He wants to share the beauty that he finds in his everyday life, knowing now that he doesn’t need to travel great distances in pursuit of something that is already at home.

Gary Seaton began a photographic journey over 40
years ago, he exhibits 10 exceptionally vivid photographs in his show
“Twirl”. Each work is a series of two juxtaposed
mirror images that have been digitally altered from their original ‘captured’
photograph.

“Twirl” is an exploration of images which
expose the hidden movement of nature into a collection of dances, fluidity and
emotive energy moves through each photograph.

The Chaffee Art Center will host the work of ten female Vermont artists in its next show which opens on Friday March 29, 2013. The show is titled, The Art of Practice and the women will be sharing both the products of their practice and the process they go through to create their art. The show will be open until Saturday April 27, 2013.

Opening Reception: Friday, April 5, 5 - 9 pmMaps and Legends:New Work by Paige Berg Rizvi
Exhibit runs: April 5 - 27, 2013
Burlington artist Paige Berg Rizvi's new work incorporates maps of locations from her Midwestern past. Other elements, such as flying and inanimate objects, form a legend or symbology that helps to unpack the meanings we associate with significant places and events. Rizvi continues to explore the aesthetic possibilities of the encaustic (pigmented beeswax) medium, allowing her to produce new work in which the painterly and graphic coalesce into compelling and evocative images.

Ordered Chaos by Katherine Taylor-McBroom, features assemblages and collages of disorderly facades and chaotic compartments that house hidden behaviors. Taylor-McBroom projects her experiences of growing up in the South and the expectations of presenting perfect facades, in the home and as a personal appearance. Studio 266
266 S. Champlain Street
Burlington, VT 05401
(802) 578-2512266studios@gmail.com
Additional Open Hours by Appointment

The Soda Plant hallways wind through some of the most creative studios and businesses in the South End. For the next few months those halls will host their own creative works from around the region in a 'Large Works' exhibit, in which each piece must measure at least 3' in one direction.

The S.P.A.C.E. Gallery is 'launching' a Satellite Arts space on Pine Street this May. Space themed artwork is on display in a 50/50 fundraiser to help with the cost of building new artist studios for the creative community in Burlington's South End.

Manchester natural history photographer and retired marine biology professor/author Matthew Paul Lerman will be exhibiting some of his unusual and revealing images at the Dorset Library starting April 1st. His show is entitled “Through the Lens: A View of Life.” An opening reception to meet the artist will be held on April 6th from 11-1 pm.

Matthew’s photographic images on display at the library represent a sampling of his work that captures the uniqueness of life on Mother Earth. His works in this exhibit range from scenic vistas to emotional portraits of plant and animal life. His deep roots in ecology diffuse into each photograph.

Matthew has dedicated his life to exploring nature and helping others see the beauty and splendor surrounding us. He spent forty years teaching biology in NYC area. In addition he has been a college professor of biology, marine ecology, oceanography, marine mammalogy, and anatomy-physiology at Kingsborough and CW Post Colleges in New York. He has won awards for nature photography from the NY Herpetological Society and from NMEA. In addition, Matthew took many of the nature photographs in the marine biology textbook he wrote, which is widely used in colleges and secondary schools throughout the world.

His work has been on display at the Southern Vermont Arts Center, the Gallery at Equinox Village, the National Art League in Douglaston, NY, and the Gander Gallery in Manchester VT. His artistic portrayal of nature strives to bring the beauty of the outdoors into focus by capturing fleeting moments and unique compositions.

All are invited to meet the artist at the opening reception. Refreshments will be served and all works are for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to benefit the library.

About Vermont Art Zine

Vermont Art Zineprovides writeups and reviews of Vermont exhibitions great and small, publishes essays on a range of matters of interest to our visual arts community, and posts links to art resources, portfolios, and blogs by Vermont artists and others (see below). We hope to broaden the range of venues and artists under general discussion with the goal of fostering greater aesthetic awareness, stronger support for the visual arts, and the creation of a critical community in Vermont, for Vermont.

Vermont Art Zineencourages contributions from Vermont art critics and reviewers, as well as unsolicited contributions on topics in the visual arts from a diverse range of artists’ voices from around the Green Mountain State.

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How to submit a PRESS RELEASE

We'd love to post your venue's press release. Please send us a prose paragraph of text about the exhibition/event AND one or more jpeg images. Please DO NOT send just an electronic exhibition card. We reserve the right to decline inadequate press releases.

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We want Vermont Art Zine to be a commons for our Vermont visual arts community, with information and pictures about shows, artists, and venues around the state. To make that happen, we need artist/writer participation from many, many different voices in many different places in Vermont.

Do you have ideas about issues and hot-button topics in the visual arts? We post questions for response and debate. Let us hear from you!

Write to us at vermontartzine@gmail.com

How To Add Your Link

If you're a Vermont artist or a visual arts presenter, we'd be happy to list your website or blog (one of each) in our LINKS. Send your link to vermontartzine@gmail.com. If you'd put up a reciprocal link, that would be great!

Appreciators

Blog Listing Policy

Vermont Art Zine offers to link to one blog per Vermont artist. Send your request to the addresses above. We reserve the right to remove blogs from this list if they have been without a new post for 6 months. If you use your blog more as a website (that is, you put it up and then more or less leave it, with just occasional updates), ask us to list it under VT Artists instead.

Vermont Artists Listing Policy

We will be happy to link to one website for each Vermont artist. If you have a website and a blog, we will link to one of each. A Vermont artist is someone who resides in the state for more than half the year. Artist websites should be about the visual artwork of the artist. It's OK to sell through your site, but it should be your own work.